Thank you Elena!!! You've already gone and identified the other people around Galileo, which are all located around the rose window on the sides and four corners.
seriewoordenaar - you do send us on treasure hunts, I'm enjoying discovering these details of places I hadn't ever thought to look at ;-)
I received very helpful replies from the archives director, Mr. Giuseppe Giari, who I've thanked profusely for his help, he did more research for us.
This is our best reconstruction of who's who among the "personalities"
- under the rose window, along the entire line of sculptures are, from left to right:
Arnolfo, Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Andrea Pisano, Petrarca, Dante, S. Ambrogio, Guido Monaco, Palestrina, Beato Angelico, Leonardo, Raffaello, Orcagna, Giotto.
All of their names are actually written under but you need binoculars to see them. The director says he was able to reconstruct the order with photos from books.
As Elena had already listed, at the corners and sides of the rose windows:
Marsilio Ficino, Galileo, Del Pozzo Toscanelli, Vespucci, Pippo Spano, Niccolò Acciaiuoli.
The pope is further down, one of the four sculptures between the doors which all host religious figures:
cardinal Valeriani, bishop Agostino Tinacci, Pope Eugenio IV who consecrated the church in 1436, and Sant'Antonino Pierozzi, bishop of Florence.
If you're looking for more info, Mr. Giari says that the best publications would be two volumes on the cathedral by the Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze in the series dedicated to churches in the city. Those can be consulted in local libraries, not sure they would be easy to find for purchase though.
Elena has a great reminder about the statues around the main Piazza degli Uffizi.
This would be a great idea for a treasure hunt of sorts across Florence: find all the Galileos or Amerigos or Brunellschis in the city! ;-)